The Washington critic., 1887-12-16
HER HAIR TURNED WHITE.
a Lady Who Bears the Marks of 10 Night
of Terrible Suspcnrc.

"A bH'ly VINO Bears the Marks Oi 10 Night
of Terrible snspcnrc.
A party Of doctors and ladies' were
discussing yesterday question which
interests everybody on this terrestrial
sphere, namely, the SHOWS of time
which sooner or later must whiten tho
head of the President and peasant, and
n layman who was also present said:
81 know OF man who but few weeks
ago had II mustachc as brown and
darkly brown as the fur of II seal. Now
il Is almost white in places, and not
hair Of II but is gray The change took
place in the space Of one night, that sue
ceeding the death of daughter who
was 10 him the prottiest little maid that
ever crowcd for kisses. Intense grief
directly caused this sudden transforma-
ton"
Upon this one Of the ladies said: 81
happened to be in New Orleans few
years after the war, and at a reception
one night met a Young lady who could
not have been moro than 20 years old,
but whose hair was of % pure silvery
white. She was u beautiful girl, and
with this crown of silver naturally at
tractcd every ones attention. j learned
how she came TO have white hair soon
afterwards. She wns the daughter of
wholesale grocer in New Orleans, and
during the early part Of the war lived
with her parents in that city. Just be-
fore New Orleans was occupied by Gen
eral Butler. her father, who was then an
invalid, took his family out 10 small
plantation that he owned near Baton
Rouge. At the same time an uncle of
the girl am talking of managed to run
the blockade and took with him very
large quantity of diamonds and other
valuablcs--for he was a jeweler. lie
reached England in safety with his pre-
cious cargo.
"'rhe family enjoyed peace and Sc
curity for some months at Baton Rouge
until General Butler had hoisted the
stars and stripes in New Orleans. One
night soon after that event a party of
bummers, or camp followers, said to be
attached TO the Union army, but who,
rs | believe, may Just as likely have
been thieves and cutthroats of Confed-
crate sympathies from the purlieus OF
New Orleans, made descent upon the
house at Baton Rouge. 1t was nearly
midnight when the family was aroused
by loud knocking at the door. The door
u minute or two later was burst in and
five or six masked men entered the
house. They proceeded at once to the
room where lamp was burning by the
bedside of the master of the house, who
was very i'll at the time.
81 should have stated" said the lady,
"that the gentleman's name was Hythe,
if ! remember rightly. One of the
masked men. revolver in hand, stepped
up to Mr.. Hythc and said: We want the
diamonds and iewelry you brought away
from New Orleans Mr. Hythe realized
at once that the robbers had mistaken
him for his brother, the jeweler, and
tried to explain that he had no diamonds
or anything of any particular value in
the house. They refused TO believe him,
and proceeded to make u thorough
search of the house. Mr.. Hythe's two
daughters had been sleeping in the
room below their fathers, but of course
were awakened by the noise. Their ex-
perience of the tide of war which had
swept over them once or twice before
enabled them to understand the situa-
ton at once. BY good fortune they were
able to get out Of the house in safety and
reach neighboring cane-brake, where
they hid. Meanwhile the robbers,
having discovered nothing but Il little
Confederate money, tried TO induce Mrs.
Hythe, whom they had captured, to re-
veal the whereabouts of the treasure.
She could only affirm what her husband
had said. They subjected her to horri-
BILE indignities, and finally set
fire TO the house. She escaped from the
building. The girls in their hiding
place saw the torches applied; saw their
father, as the flames leaped up to the
roof, come to the window of his room,
and then fall back into the fire. They
dared not move, and when the neigh
bors found them, hours later, the hair
Of the younger girl, then about 10 years
old, had turned as white almost as her
/ checks, bloodlcss with fright. Her hair
had been black us night bcfore."-tPitts-
/ burg Dispatch.